Populism and the crisis of democracy

This unit will provide you with an understanding of one of the defining political phenomena of our times – populism. Several of the most prominent and controversial leaders, parties and movements of recent years have been labelled as 'populist’ – but what does populism actually mean? Why is it so controversial? What unites populists of different ideological stripes across the world? What explains its success and failures? And is populism ultimately a threat or corrective to democracy? To answer these questions, this unit will familiarise you with cutting-edge debates on populism and examine a truly global array of case studies of the phenomenon. Organised over three central sections, you will first examine the historical background and theoretical underpinnings of populism; in the second section, you will analyse populism in different regional settings across the globe; and in the third you will explore populism's broader relationship to ideology, media and democracy in the 21st century. Overall, this unit will help you make sense of populism both in theory and practice.